Chapter 21: how to prepare a Guild Event
Since i had spent so much time locked inside of the Training Hall i decided to finish the afternoon by doing a round of the city. As i walked through it, manyNPCs came to talk to me, most of them wanted to ask me to do a quest or simply wanted to talk to me. It took me a while to realise how much i had become famous and respected by Fridol's citizens.
A few of the NPC came to ask me if i was going to participate in the great tournament, since i didn't know of any tournaments i told them no.
I went to see my War Steed at the stables. It was a large and muscular mount with dark brown eyes and oburn red mane.
He was a beuty. I immediatly decided to keep it as my own.
The Mithrill, Chackram and Martial Artist Outfit were rare items, there was no way i would give them away.
The Gautlets and magical Herbes were less useful to me so i decided to transfer them into the Guilds pocesseion log and label them as 'reseved' until i knew what to do with them.
I took the time to check on the Guilds affairs, going through every single detail. When i was training i had regularly checked on everything but i wanted to really work on the guild now.
I saw that all the constructions and ameliorations were over and most of them were running smoothly.
Then i looked at the shops that had been making less proffits than i expected. Durring the last two month, i had tried several methods to increase the number of custumers.
Some shops had started to attract more clients, as i looked at their historics i noticed it was because i had made them more attractive and welcoming through the upgrade of the stores themselves. The properties had been decorated with rugs, paintings, scultures, carvings or simply a few plants.
Of course! The presentation matters too! No one will want to enter a crumbling, dark and dusty shop even if it sells the best goods in the whole Kingdom!
I immediatly set quests for painters, carvers, potters and tailors to further decorate all of the Properties and Shops of the Guild. I spent more than 150 Silver Coins to do this but i knew that, in the long run, they would be back along with interests.
Happy to have resolved my problem i went back to the inn. It had become a habit of mine to spend time with some of the Guild members before going to Train or resting.
I ate a slice a meat pie with a group of warriors back from escorting a merchant, shared a cup of mead with a couple of farmers and discussed with one of the waitresses about additional tables and chairs.
I was paying my last cup of alcohol when Shade, the barman, started talking to me.
"Say, Big Boss, are you planning on joining the Great Tournament?
"What tournament?"
"What tournament? You're telling me you haven't heard?"
"Heard about what?"
"The tournament! All the adventurers, warriors and combatant in Braeen have heard of it! The King is organising a great tournament in less than three months at the Arena!"
"What kind of tournament is it?"
The reason why i was asking was beacause every month, a small tournament was held, at the Capital's arena. The types of tournaments were diverse, including archery, swordsmanship, magical combats and hand to hand sparring. There had even been a few jouts and meles.
"That's the thing, Boss, a Great Tournament is all of the tournaments at the same time! The participants come by the hundred and the prizes, the prizes!"
Imagining how important such an event would be i was surprised not to have heard of it sooner, until i remembered that posters had been posted at the Training hall once.
"Shade, did you know that NoMercy will participate?"
"NoMercy? No way! Awesome!"
One of the NPC clients had joined our conversation.
"NoMercy? Who is that?"
"Really?! What's up with you?"
Shade was looking at me as if i was as ingnorant a a new born.
"NoMercy is only the most gruesome, battlecarving and bloodthirsty guild of foreigners that has ever been founded! Their members are so powerfull! Especialy ZeroKiller, their top combatant!"
As Shade kept admiring another guild i felt a twingle of jealousy within me.
"Hey, shade. you know that they kinda are our rivals, right?"
"Well, yeah... but we're not really about combat. Centiped is more about craftmanship and commerce."
"True, but we still have plenty of warriors in our ranks. Me included."
"Oh, right boss, i'm sure you could defeat them all if you wanted to!"
From around us, a few other man sheered towards my victory in a half joking tone.
Are they seriously not believing in Centiped combat strength? Even the players don't think one of us can win... i need to change this!
I oppened the private message window and sent a message to Trickster.
"I want to organise a Guild event in relation to the Great Tournament held in Fridol.
Something like an internal Guild ranking and prizes of the participating members."
It didn't take long until he replied.
"Sounds fun. i think we could do it but it will be expensive! Where do we get the prizes? What about the non-combatants?"
"We can make most of the prizes, for the top ones i have a few ideas... what about a fair held by the rest of the Guild outside of the Arena?"
"Like a giant market with games and food stands?"
"Yeah! we could put dolls, clothes and basic equipments as rewards! the newbies would love it!"
"And a tombola, don't forget to make a tombola!"
Soon the both of us had decided on a dozen small games, recepies to sell and shop stands to hold.
I set several quests to prepare the prizes for the fair, the tombola and the guild ranking of the tournament.
Then i looked for NPCs to hold the stands (players would never agree to work durring the tournament). As the preparations we lunched i wondered exactly how much prizes i would need.
Deciding that i needed to be sure i leaft the inn, noticing a man following me.
Even after two month they are still here...
I arived at the Arena after a few minutes of walking. The Arena was a high stone and hard wood construction as big as four houses stuck together. I entered it through one of its numerous entrances. The inside of it was made of stairs leading upstairs to the tribunes, and coridors to the fighters quarters.
Several players were present in the long pathway separating the outside from the inside wall. In front of each stairs an NPC was welcoming the aplying participants.
I joined one of the lines, waiting behind a female archer for my turn.
"Participant or Merchant?"
"Both. I represent Centiped's interests in the Great Tournament."
"Ho?"
"We would like to set a series of food, market and gaming stands around and inside the Arena. And if possible some in the tribunes."
"That is a possibility, however for each stand and merchant a small fee will be required... How many exacly are you planing on?"
The two of us discussed it in full, fromm the number of stands, their emplacements, activities, menues, prizes and workers and the merchants areas in the tribunes.
The players behind me gradually left for other lines as times passed and they lost patience.
After we were done with the stands logistics and negotiations i started asking about the tournament itself.
The tournament was to present 15 different showdowns spread on 18 days.
As i read the trials i decided to participate in as much categories as i could (Author's Note: the trial he will be participatig in are in italic), 13 in total. In fact the only ones i did not apply for were those done in teams and the magical Duels.
"Day one:
morning, opening ceremony and swordmanship duels, stage 1, 2
Afternoon, Archery, stage 1, 2
Day two:
Morning, Magical Duels, stage 1, 2
Afternoon, jouts, stage 1, 2, 3 (horse non included)
Day three:
Morning, hand to hand duels, stage 1, 2 (no weapons or armors allowed)
Afternoon, crossbow mastery, stage 1, 2
Day four:
Morning, team duels, stage 1
Afternoon, swordmanship duel, stage 3, 4
Day five:
Morning, blunt weapon duels, stage 1, 2
Afternoon, knives duels, stage 1, 2
Day six:
Morning, horse archery, stage 1, 2
Afternoon, other blades duel, stage 1, 2
Day seven:
Morning, archery, stage 3, 4
Afternoon, Magic Duels, stage 3, 4
Day eight:
Morning, horse back duels, stage 1, 2 (all combat styles allowed)
Afternoon, hand to hand duels, stage 3,4,5
Day nine:
Morning, swordmanship duels, finale
Afternoon, Archery, finale
Day ten:
Morning, magical duels, finale
Afternoon, jouts, stage 4, finale
Day Eleven:
Morning, hand to hand duels, finale
Afternoon, crossbow mastery, stage 3, 4, finale
Day twelve:
Morning, team duels, stage 2, 3
Afternoon, blunt weapons duels, stage 3, 4, finale
Day thirteen:
Morning, knifes duels, stage 3, 4
Afternoon, Horse archery, stage 3, 4
Day fourteen:
Morning, Team duels, stage 4, 5, finale
Afternoon, horse back duels, stage 3, 4, 5, finale (all combat style allowed)
Day fifteen:
Morning, Knife duels, stage 5, finale
Afternoon, horse archery, stage 5, Finale
Day sixteen:
Morning, other blades duels, stage 3, 4, 5, Finale
Afternoon, mele on horse back, (all combat style allowed)
Day seventeen:
Morning, open duels, stage 1, 2 (all combat style allowed)
Afternoon, mele on feet, (all combat style allowed)
Day eighteenn:
Morning, open duels, stage 3, 4, 5 (all combat style allowed)
Afternoon, open duels, finale (all combat style allowed)
Evening, Prize distribution"
The Kingdoms laws autorised gambling durring official games and events, participants were to receive 5% of the money they bought to the Kingdom after each match.
To help gamblers choose on whom to place their bets, participants could create a small presentation profile. Since it would greatly influence your incomes, what you decided to display on it was your own choice and responsability
After thinking about it, i decided to go with an aproximate truth:
"Ben Varrand, Level 85
Centiped Guild, Guild Master & Founding Member
Stength, Endurance, Toughness >90
Vitality, Speed, Dexterity >80
Luck, Inteligence >75
Participates in:
•swordmanship duels
•blunt weapon duels
•knives duels
•other blades duels
•open duels,
•horse back open duels
•Archery
•horse archery
•crossbow mastery
•hand to hand duels
•jouts
•mele on feet
•mele on horse back"
It was a simple presentation of my avatar and its stats.
True, i was currently level 72 and my basic stats were all above what i had written (exept luck), but a normal players stats of level 80, with the bonuses given by the Paths and Job, would reach arround 80 to 90 points in average and i didn't want people to understand that my stats were higher than they should by at least 35 levels
In other words, i had given the impression that my character development had been centered on pure combat ability (great attack and deffence power with enough speed and energy to keep up with most of the lower half of the higher ranked players) rather than my Jack-of-all-trades kind of distribution.
When i was done, the number 377 was given to me and i was instructed to present myself for the Opening Ceremony on the first day of the event.
There is still three month before the start and there is already around four hundred participants! What will it be like on the day of the Great Tournament!
After talking to the clerc i took a copy of the tournament poster and, when i got back to the inn, put it in plain view at the tavern.
With Trickster's help i calculated that we would need 18 grand prizes for each top member of each categories, 36 second prizes for the number 2 and 3, 126 prizes for all the players ranking from 4 to 10, 1068 prizes for those ranking from 11 to 70 and 540 small consolation prizes for those beyong rank 70.
The top rewards were two magical garbs, two steal great sword, two steal hammers, the two rare magical herbs, a set of steal throwing knives, a steal axe, four different pieces of steal armors, the best bow and crossbow available to be made in the entire Kingdom, the most confortable sadle possible, and a set of steal combat gloves and boots.
The second prices were the same exept that the magical garbs had been replaced by light armors, and that the equipment was of a slighly lesser quality.
The same thing could be said of the third set of prizes.
The fourf was made of beginer equipment and the last was a monetary reward.
I also arranged for the members to receive a minimum of contribution points depending on their results.
As for the stands, those with the most sells would receive materials and tools, the quality and rarity of the reward lessened as the number of clients dropped.
The gaming stands prizes were beginer armors nd weapons, food ingredients and pelts and furs, the most difficult games (cut the sting) had a Large Sachel for the grand Prize.
The tombola top prize was a complete set of light iron armor, then there was two horses, eight long swords, axes, hammers, knifes and bows, twenty quivers, small sachels, garbs and lage canteen, 40 free meal tickets in any of the Centiped run food stands and 26 free tries tickets at the game stands.
To my surprise the trials, lotery, rankings of the tournament participants, Centiped's inner ranking and the stands competition would be completely handled by the game's system, along with their organizations and prizes distribution, leaving me only responsible for providing the prizes and the material and work force necesarry to build and keep the stands opperational.
With the help of an architect and a carpenter it was an easy thing to pull.
They started working on stand designs that would facilitate the set up and correspond to their activity. Since they were using market stands as a basis for their work, they assured me that it would be ready in a day
The whole thing took me less than three ingame days.
That's when i sent the second Guild Wide message.
" Centiped's first Guild Event!
Inspired by Braeen's Great Tournament i announce to you that Centiped will hold its first Guild Event!
Durring the Great Tournament, a total of 30 food, gaming and market each will be set all around the Arena, held by Centiped members (in a rotation system so that you can all go see the trials) and will sell Centiped made products only!
At the end of the Great Tournament, the stands that will have had the most clients (buyers, not income!) will recive a Prize!
In addition, i invite as many Centiped members as possible to join the Great Tournament and do their best as a Inner Guild Ranking (of the participants this time), will determine the Guild's top member (players and NPCs) in each of the categories.
The Top members will then receive a Prize for their Exploits and contribution Points.
Even if you are not interested in the prize remember that you can obtain contribution points, attract the attention of a noble (connections, people, connections!) or of a Lady (or Lord, your choise) and if this is still not enaugth to convince you, then... Do it for the fun!!!
The list of prizez will be made public a week before the bigening of the Great Tournament!"
When i sent the mesage i saw that most of the people present in the inn lifted their heads and hands to open the incoming guild message. There was a moment of near silence while everyone, even the NPCs were reading the announcement then everyone started talking at the same time.
By looking at the Guild chat room i saw that it quickly turned into a debate about what the rewards would be, who was going to participate in the tournament and who would work in the stands.
Like i had predicted, nearly all of the Military and black ops branch members immediatly comfirmed their participation in the tournament, while the craftmen and merchants went to work on what they would sell at the fair.
From the corner of my eye i noticed the man that was folowing me hurridly typing infrom of him.
He must reporting that something has happened... He can't know for sure what is going on but he might have overheard a few things. Worst case senario, his boss will try to move against us at the tournament or the fair causing finacial losses but i might finally be able to learn who he is, best case senario, nothing goes wrong, the guy gets borred.
A dozen minutes later, half the members present in the tavern had left to apply for the tournament, i too exited the Guild's HQ and started walking towards the Training Hall.
I still had at least two ingame month (2 RL weeks) before the Great Tournament started. In other words plenty enough to pass the Training Hall Master's training and learn as much as i could from Elia, give him Vendro's note and maybe even talk to the King.
At the last minute i remembered i was still running the recording option. The video was already several weeks long.
It's definitivelly gonna need edditing. I'm gonna have to ask Annie for a favor again...
As i thought this, i spotted one of the men that had been following me durring the last three months.
Not again! i'm getting tirred of having to loose them!
Acting as if nothing was wrong, i walked pass the Training Hall entrance and went in an alley. There i changed from my usual dark tunic and garbs and my assortment of weapons and armor into the Martial Artists Combat Clothes set.
It was considered as on item by the game but was in fact made of a thin silver chain mail tunic covered but a strong and durable coton top held close by a belt made of the same material and trousers that were similar to Karate outfits. Both the tunic and the trousers were black and had a small symbol sown on them, the same Murim symbol that was on my ring. The set was completed by a pair of Soft Black Leather Mittens. I was shoeless.
I hurrydly untied my long hair and went back on my steps, acting perfectly oblivious as i walked right next to the spy.
I entered the Training Hall thinking that such closes would fit the Beastmen race better than me.
I saluted the students and instructors, searching with my eyes for the Training Hall Master. Since i did not see him i talked to one of the senior Trainers and i was asked to set an appointment. Apparently, Elia was so busy that he now spent most of his time working at the castle which meant that i had to wait anothet full day.
To spend some time abd ensure that my stalker lost my trail for good, i decided to participate in a few sparrings.
I took on anyone that wanted to fight against me, using this ocasion to train for the tournament.
When inasked a out it, i was told that most of the students would be participationg too. Apparently the master thought it was a good way for them to put their skills to the test.
I left the Training Hall in mid-afternoon, went back to my inn room and disconnected.
•••••••••
I know you are all lost with Ben's stats so i will add his Avatar and Centiped's Status before the next chapter.
Next chapter: Elia, the Training Hall Master!